1. Too hard to do Alone Delivering effective community safety
Richard Fairhead
North Wales Fire and Rescue Service
19 of the top 200 SOAs in the indices of deprivation 2005 are located in North Wales including all three of the SOAs in Rhyl West, one of which is the second most deprived SOA in Wales. In total the 19 deprived areas had 3 ADFDs (7.5%), the last being in of the 19 appear in the table for the most dwelling fires (figure 13), but only Rhyl West, Hermitage and Greenfield have recorded an ADFD (figure 14).There appears to be a correlation between dwelling fire injuries, occurrences and the deprivation index of some areas. However, it is not the case that all deprived areas automatically have a high level of dwelling fires and injuries. With regard to ADFDs, the data suggests that the deprivation index has a limited influence on the likelihood of an ADFD occurring.

2. What we used to do – (alone)
Identify where the fires happen.
Identify other factors that link numbers of fires
Areas of social deprivation
Areas known to crews
Concentrate the CFS activity in the busy areas.
Educate the communities that have the
most fires.

3. Why?
To reduce accidental dwelling fires.
Which would reduce accidental dwelling fire injuries.
And therefore reduce accidental dwelling fire deaths.

4. DID NOT REDUCE THE ACCIDENTAL DWELLING FIRE DEATHS.
What did that do?
Reduced accidental dwelling fires by 28%.
Reduced accidental dwelling fire injuries by 20%.
DID NOT REDUCE THE ACCIDENTAL DWELLING FIRE DEATHS.
625 to 450
138 to 110
10 to 10

6. 11 Most Active Wards in North Wales Unitary Authority Area
ADFs
ADFDs
Injuries
Rhyl West
Denbighshire
114 1 32
Glyn
Conwy 50 24
Rhyl South West 48 9
Rhiw 42 17
Tudno 39 13
Hermitage
Wrexham 35 6
Llandrillo yn Rhos 34 15
New Broughton 5
Queensway 33 12
Rhyl South East
Peblig
Gwynedd 31
The 10 wards where the most accidental dwelling fires in North Wales since April 2001 were analysed. These 10 wards account for 3.5% of the total wards in North Wales (281) but account for a total of 15% (461) ADFs, 17% (133) of the injuries but only 5% (2) of the ADFDs. This suggests that ADFDs do not correlate to the volume of occurrences in the same way that injuries do.
In the report a larger sample of wards was taken where 6% of the wards account for 22% of the incidents, 26% of the injuries and 10% of the ADFDs. 19 of the top 200 SOAs in the indices of deprivation 2005 are located in North Wales including all three of the SOAs in Rhyl West, one of which is the second most deprived SOA in Wales. In total the 19 deprived areas had 3 ADFDs (7.5%), the last being in of the 10 appear in the table for the most dwelling fires, but only Rhyl West and Hermitage have recorded an ADFD. It was also analysed to identify if a relationship between areas of deprivation and ADFDs could be proven, this was not the case however with the areas of deprivation (highlighted in red) being prominent in the wards most active and where most injuries occur.

7. Most Active 25% of Wards in each Unitary Authority Area
No. Wards in Sample
(25%)
No. Accidental Dwelling Fires
(% total)
No. of ADFDs
No of Injuries
Ynys Môn 10
197
(57%) 55
(59%)
Conwy
302
(52%) 1
(10%)
106
Gwynedd 17
231
(44%)
(12.5%) 51
(43%)
Denbighshire 8
275 54
(55%)
Flintshire 14
250 2 67
(50%)
Wrexham 12
299
(33%) 77
(51%)
Average
50%
17%
53%
To confirm that the North Wales results were reflected locally across the unitary authorities. The most active 25% of wards in each unitary authority area were analysed to ascertain any link between ADFDs, injuries and incidents.
This shows again that incidents and injuries are linked but ADFDs are not. For instance in Ynys Mon 25% of the wards are responsible for nearly 60% of both injuries and incidents but no ADFDs, this means that targeting by activity alone would have had no effect on ADFDs suggesting that links with other agencies and written protocols to allow data transfer to identify vulnerable people would be a more effective targeting method.
The statistical data that NWFRS generates would not normally indicate the location of the most vulnerable.
7 (18%) of ADFD occurred in the most active areas.
Additionally of the 38 ADFD events 11 (29%) have occurred in wards where there have been no injuries and only 81 (2.6%) of the accidental dwelling fires (3111). In total the 38 ADFD wards accounted for 124 (16%) of the injuries and 529 (17%) of the incidents.

8. Wards where there has been an Accidental Dwelling Fire Death
38 different wards
38 different fatal fire events (2 double fatalities)
Only 3 wards listed as an area of deprivation
One ward had 4 accidental dwelling fires and 1 accidental dwelling fire death
625 to 450
138 to 110
10 to 10

9. Every person who died was vulnerable
Too hard to do alone?
Every person who died was vulnerable
Being alone
Behaviour against the Fire Safety Message
No AFD
Age
Alcohol
Rented accommodation
Some disability
Other agencies knew of 33 of the people
625 to 450
138 to 110
10 to 10

10. We can predict where most accidental dwelling fires will happen.
Too hard to do alone?
We can predict where most accidental dwelling fires will happen.
We can predict where most injuries will happen.
We CANNOT predict where accidental dwelling fire deaths will happen.
We appear to be able to protect property but not people.
625 to 450
138 to 110
10 to 10

11. Identify the vulnerable people in the communities.
Too hard to do alone?
Identify the vulnerable people in the communities.
Work with other agencies - they know the vulnerable.
Assist the other agencies by using known contributory factors.
Is that all?
625 to 450
138 to 110
10 to 10

12. We need to protect the people – not the properties
Too hard to do alone?
We need to protect the people – not the properties
We can only do that by working in partnership – it is too hard to do it alone.
625 to 450
138 to 110
10 to 10

13. ANY QUESTIONS?
625 to 450
138 to 110
10 to 10

14. THANK YOU
625 to 450
138 to 110
10 to 10